


Season of giving

by Melacka



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: 31 Days of Ficmas, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Baked Goods, Christmas Cookies, F/M, Flirting, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:21:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27858250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melacka/pseuds/Melacka
Summary: Katniss hummed along to the Christmas carol playing as she moved further up the line, surprised to find herself in such a good mood. She wasn’t usually big on the whole holiday spirit thing, but she just couldn’t help but grin at the prospect of a fresh batch of cookies.Or, Peeta tries to give Katniss a lesson on the season of giving. Katniss is about as receptive as you'd expect.
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39





	Season of giving

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 2 of the 31 Days of Ficmas, the prompt was Ginger/Gingerbread. You can find the Prompt List here: https://doctorroseprompts.tumblr.com/post/632802154257825792/its-almost-that-time-of-year-friends-in-fact.
> 
> The prompt list is actually for the Dr Who fandom but I wanted to try my hand at the challenge without only sticking to one fandom.

Katniss pushed open the door to the Mellark family bakery and instinctively took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar, delicious smells. It had become a habit recently to come into the bakery once a week, usually on a Friday to pick up a treat for the weekend. A little reward for herself for getting through another week. It was still sometimes hard for her to spend her hard-earned money on something so _frivolous_ , but she was slowly getting used to the idea that this was something she could do now. She’d worked hard and _earned_ those cookies, damn it.

She got in line and absently perused the display cases as she waited for her turn. She didn’t really need to look, she knew what she’d get, because she’d been getting the same thing every time she’d visited the bakery in the last month. Ever since they’d introduced their seasonal line in the weeks leading up to Christmas, she’d been getting their soft ginger cookies. She hummed along to the Christmas carol playing as she moved further up the line, surprised to find herself in such a good mood. She wasn’t usually big on the whole holiday spirit thing, but she just couldn’t help but grin at the prospect of a fresh batch of cookies. She was already planning to take some with her when she went hiking with Gale the next day. She might even share them with him if she was feeling particularly generous.

Her good mood even survived the sight of Mrs Mellark working the till. Katniss barely knew the woman, but she always felt on edge around her, like she needed to watch her back around her.

“Next,” Mrs Mellark barked, dismissing the customer in front of Katniss and beckoning her forward with an imperious wave. “What can I get you?”

Katniss pasted a bland smile on her face and said confidently, “Half a dozen of the soft ginger cookies, please.”

“We’re out,” Mrs Mellark snapped without even glancing at the display.

“Out?” Katniss echoed, completely nonplussed. “What do you mean, you’re out?”

“We have sold out the soft ginger cookies,” she replied. “They’re very popular, you know. One of our seasonal specialties.”

Katniss narrowed her eyes, certain that the older woman was taking a little too much pleasure in her disappointment.

“Do you want something else?” Mrs Mellark prompted, gesturing at the packed display cases. “We have lots of other options.”

Katniss looked helplessly at the options. She hadn’t even considered the possibility that they would run out of the ginger cookies.

“Well?” Mrs Mellark snapped, beginning to sound impatient.

“Um,” Katniss said, trying not to panic at the thought of how many people were waiting behind her.

“Do you need some more time?”

“No, I don’t need more time,” Katniss said through gritted teeth.

“So, what do you want? There _are_ other people waiting, you know.”

“Are there?” Katniss said vaguely, still scanning the display case.

 _This is ridiculous_ , Katniss thought to herself. _Just pick something and get out_.

“If you’re not going to buy anything—”

“Just give me six of the snickerdoodles,” Katniss sighed. “Please,” she added resentfully.

She paid for her cookies and shoved them in her bag, trying not to let her disappointment spoil her pleasure at her one weekly indulgence. Their snickerdoodles _were_ very nice, and she used to love getting them before she discovered the soft ginger cookies. She shoved the door open and stood outside the bakery for a minute, indulging her childish disappointment for a moment before she started the short walk back to her apartment. As she walked, she was trying to find her phone in her bag, and so she didn’t notice him until he came running up beside her. She jumped when she felt his hand on her arm and only just managed to stop herself from shoving him roughly away.

“Peeta?”

“Katniss!” Peeta said breathlessly. “I’m glad I caught you.”

“Why?” Katniss said bluntly, staring at him in surprise. He looked like he’d come running straight out of the bakery’s kitchen, he was still wearing his apron and appeared to have flour on his hands. “Were you inside? I didn’t see you.”

“Yeah, I was around the back,” he explained, still trying to catch his breath. “Busy, busy, you know. Always in the kitchen working on something.”

Katniss nodded, more out of politeness than understanding. She waited for him to speak again but he didn’t seem to be in any rush, he just stared at her and smiled.

“Right, well, good to see you,” she said eventually and then turned away, starting to walk again.

“Wait! I have something to give you!” Peeta called out after her.

She glanced back at him, suspicious now.

“What?”

“Soft ginger cookies,” he said, pulling a bag out of his apron pocket and holding it out to her. “Half a dozen, right?”

“Right,” Katniss said automatically, before her brain caught up with what he had said. “Wait, what? Your mother said you’d run out.”

“We did,” Peeta replied, shrugging carelessly, still holding out the bag. “When I saw that we were running low, I put some aside for you. I’d almost given up hope of seeing you today!”

“Wait, you noticed that?” Katniss blurted out. “You notice that I get them?”

“Every Friday for about a month, yeah.”

“You noticed that I come every Friday? I never even see you in there, how on earth do you notice me?”

“I always notice you, Katniss.”

Katniss gaped at him, speechless. She looked down at the bag of cookies he still held out for her and then back up to his face. He looked so hopeful. Katniss narrowed her eyes.

“How much?”

“What?”

“How much for the cookies?”

“I don’t want your money, Katniss. It’s a gift.”

Katniss snorted and said, “Does your mother know you’re giving me this _gift_?”

“It isn’t my mother’s concern what I do,” Peeta said firmly. “I baked them and I can dispose of them however I choose.”

“Is that how it usually works in this business? How does anyone ever make any money?”

“We do okay,” Peeta said dismissively. “And half a dozen cookies aren’t going to cause a huge hole in our family budget, anyway.”

“Peeta—”

“Please, Katniss, will you just take them?”

“I—” Katniss hesitated. “I don’t know if I should.”

“Why not?”

“I bought some snickerdoodles when I couldn’t get those.”

“Don’t tell me that you’re worried you won’t be able to eat twelve cookies in one week?” Peeta said teasingly. “I’m not sure we can be friends now that I know that.”

“We’re not friends, Peeta,” Katniss said gruffly. “We barely know each other.”

“Maybe not,” he conceded, still smiling. “Not yet anyway, but a guy can hope, huh?”

“Hope?”

“Yeah, surely you’ve heard of it. You know, hope, optimism, a promise, wish, desire—”

“Okay, I get it,” Katniss said, fighting a smile in spite of herself. “You look those up when it’s slow in the bakery, do you?”

“I’m just trying to wear down your resistance by dazzling you with my wit.”

“ _That_ was your wit?”

“Oh, ouch!” Peeta said, laughing. “Come on, Katniss! If you’d only give me a chance, I’m sure I’d be able to impress you.”

“Why do you _want_ to impress me, Peeta?”

“I like you,” he said, shrugging. “I want to spend time with you.”

“Since when?” Katniss scoffed.

“Since always.” He laughed at her look of open-mouthed shock. “Katniss, I’ve been trying to get your attention since we were kids. You really didn’t notice?”

“I—” Katniss stammered. “I don’t know what kind of joke you’re trying for here—”

“It’s no joke,” Peeta said sincerely, taking a step closer to her. She fought the urge to step back. “I’ve been trying to think of a way to speak to you properly for ages, and this seemed like as good a reason as any.”

“But—”

“Besides, I knew you’d be disappointed if you didn’t get your cookies,” he continued quickly. “You’ve always seemed so happy when you get them.”

“I don’t know how you get any work done back there,” Katniss mumbled, furious to feel the flush spread across her face. “If you spend so much time supposedly looking at me.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I can do both.”

“I don’t understand what you want from me, Peeta,” Katniss said helplessly.

“I want you to take the cookies.”

He held the bag out again with that hopeful smile on his face.

“Will you swap them for the snickerdoodles, then?”

“You’re not real clear on this whole gift thing, are you?”

“I’m not clear on _why_ you’re doing this, no.”

“How about because it’s nearly Christmas?” Peeta said cheerfully. “Season of giving, reaching out to your fellow man, all that good stuff?”

Katniss snorted and shook her head.

“Do you always make everything this difficult?” Peeta asked, still smiling even though he was starting to sound exasperated.

“Are you always this annoyingly persistent?” Katniss fired back.

“With things that matter? Yes, I am, though I do take issue with the whole ‘annoying’ thing. But we can agree to disagree on that.”

“This is ridiculous!” Katniss snapped. “Look, it’s getting cold and I need to get home, just give me the damn cookies if it’s that important to you.”

“Ah, there’s that famous Everdeen charm!” Peeta grinned at her and dropped the bag of cookies into her hand. “We should do this again sometime.”

“We should _never_ do this again.”

“Don’t be like that! I can save you some cookies each week if you want. I’ll even teach you how to bake them.”

“What?” Katniss cried, incredulous. “Why would you do that?”

“I think it’ll be fun, and that way you can have some delicious soft ginger cookies whenever you feel like it! They’re really easy to make and you won’t believe how good your kitchen will smell while they bake.”

“Let me get this straight. You’re offering to teach me how to bake one of your best-selling items? Something that you _know_ I will come into buy every week for as long as you keep selling them?”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m offering.”

“That’s some business model you’ve got there, Peeta,” Katniss said dryly. “Do you do this for all your customers?”

“Just you, Katniss.”

“Why, Peeta? _Why_ are you doing this?”

“A small loss of income would be worth the extra time I get to spend with you.”

“You don’t even know me, Peeta.”

“We’ve been over this, Katniss,” he said patiently. “I want to get to know you, that’s the idea behind this whole thing. So, what do you think? A personal baking lesson, you and me?”

“You’re crazy.”

“No, just very persistent. But don’t worry, you don’t need to decide right now. We’ll just pick this up next Friday. I’ll have your cookies ready for you.”

“But Peeta—”

“Have a good week, Katniss!” he called over his shoulder as he jogged back to the bakery. “Enjoy your cookies!

Katniss looked down at the bag in her hand and felt a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She opened it and inhaled deeply, the smell of those precious ginger cookies making her stomach rumble. She couldn’t wait to have them with a hot cup of tea when she got home. And she _definitely_ wasn’t going to share them with Gale, he could have the snickerdoodles instead.

She looked up at the Mellark family bakery but couldn’t see Peeta anymore. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, spending time with him. Especially if it meant she’d have a steady supply of those cookies. She smiled again and stowed the cookies safely in her bag, turning to resume her journey home, humming a little as she walked.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read/leave kudos/comment. I always appreciate it!
> 
> And if you'd like to request something special for one of the prompts, head on over to my tumblr (melacka.tumblr.com/) and send me a message or an ask. If I'm familiar with the fandom, I'll try to accommodate you.


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